Currently, many devices, such as mobile telephones or Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation devices, and systems, such as automobile on-board systems, include traffic applications that provide users with maps, driving directions, and traffic information. Many examples of these applications provide directions for a primary route from a current location to a destination location selected by a user. Some applications also provide one or more alternative routes that are displayed to a user along with the primary route.
Also, there are many traffic cameras now available, such as through state departments of transportation, that a user may view to evaluate traffic conditions as observable from the traffic cameras. Generally, a user accesses the traffic cameras through a website and the user selects particular cameras along a route under consideration by the user. For example, a user in the Seattle area may access traffic cameras through the Washington State Department of Transportation system, which provides an interactive map showing several major roadways in the Seattle area along with color-coded traffic conditions and icons representing traffic cameras along these roadways.
Typically, a user selects a camera icon on the interactive map for display of the image from the traffic camera associated with the icon. Information regarding the camera may also be provided, such as the location of the camera, the direction to which the camera is oriented, and a time stamp indicating when the image from the camera was captured.
In order to make decisions about which route a user will take to a destination, one useful input is traffic cameras along that route. The most useful traffic cameras to show any given user are ones that will help the user determine what route to take to a destination. A user may select a traffic camera appearing at a point on the map along a preferred route, e.g., a primary route, in order to evaluate the current traffic conditions at that point in time. The user may also select other cameras along an alternative route in order to evaluate whether to take the alternative route when the primary route is experiencing traffic delays.
Unfortunately, such methods involving a manual selection process can be cumbersome. In addition, camera images may not be provided to drivers in a timely manner since a driver is often tasked to look at camera views before they start their route. Safety becomes an issue when drivers attempt to manually select cameras while driving.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the disclosure made herein is presented.